Mortality of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus admitted to the intensive care unit – A retrospective single-center study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease that results in increased morbidity and mortality. Under certain conditions, patients with SLE may be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) secondary to infectious disease flare-ups or other non-SLE disease conditions that are aggravated by SLE. The aim of our study was to investigate the causes and outcomes of ICU-admitted patients with SLE. This is a retrospective cohort study involving paitents with SLE that were admitted to the general ICU at Sheba Medical Center between 2002 and 2015. Outcome was measured by the 30-day mortality and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. Demographic, diagnostic, physiological, and laboratory variables of survivors and nonsurvivors were compared using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses. A receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted for significant variables to illustrate their diagnostic capabilities. Twenty-seven patients were admitted to the ICU (female: 21 [77%], mean age ± SD: 51.1 ± 15.4 years). The mean ± SD APACHE II score and 30-day mortality rate were 23.4 ± 8.3 and 29.6%, respectively. Infections, especially lower respiratory tract infections, were the cause of 66.7% of admissions and accounted for 87.5% of deaths. APACHE II scores, bacteremia, and gram-negative infections were significantly associated with mortality (p = 0.033, p = 0.022, and p = 0.01, respectively). An APACHE II score of 27 and above was the strongest predictor of mortality with a sensitivity and specificity of 83.3% and 84.2%, respectively (AUC = 0.82, p = 0.022). Patients with SLE that were admitted to the ICU with gram-negative infections, sepsis, or an APACHE II score of 27 and above have a higher mortality rate and thus should be promptly identified and treated accordingly.